VETERANS please help: Looking for Info on Various Military Posts

10/21/02 | Me

[American Soldier]

Here's my situation: Within the next year I will be getting and making a PCS move. I am considering a bunch of different bases at this time, and trying to figure out what my top choices should be. Could some of you vets or military family members please tell what you think about the following locations:

1. Colorado Springs, CO

2. Fairbanks, AK

3. Anchorage, AK

4. El Paso, TX

5. San Antonio, TX

6. Ft. Drum, NY

7. Ft. Irwin, CA

8. Fayetteville, NC

9. Columbia, SC

10, Ft. Stewart, GA

11. Ft. Hood, TX

[American Soldier]

Would appreciate the perspective of anybody who has been stationed in these places. I'm wondering about quality of life, outdoor recreation opportunities, availability of nice housing affordable to juniors officers (0-2s and O-3s), but decent in-town entertainment for the Mrs. (i.e. good restaraunts, movie theatres, etc.). Also I want a safe, friendly community.

Thank you all for any guidance you can provide...

[cynicom]

Scratch Fairbanks and Anchorage.. I would hold out for Colorado Springs.

[cynicom]

Fort Drum gets snow eleventeen feet deep, worse than Alaska.

[Cindy]

My husband, who was in the military a long time ago, says that out of the choices you listed, North Carolina or Colorado sounds the best.

[11B3]

What's your branch specialty LT? (Unsure of the correct term used by the Officer Corps for MOS.)

[11B3]

Oops - should probably have used Captain vs LT. Your career path makes a world of difference among the posts you have listed.

[quietolong]

It depends on what you like. Me I would take AK But Winter is my favorite season and I like The open remote places. Had a ball in places most others hated.

[American Preservative]

FYI ping.

[Freedom4US]

Sorry about the Mrs and entertainment, but the first three choices are overall the best. Alaska is a great duty station, believe it or not. Colorado Springs is nice, but lots of fern feelers, leaf lickers and assorted crunchy granola types.

[Balata]

Colorado Springs is nice, but lots of fern feelers, leaf lickers and assorted crunchy granola types.

What the heck does that mean? You must be thinking of Boulder.

Colorado Springs is the most conservative city in this state and is a great place to live and raise a family.

[CIBvet]

Alaska is great ... and Anchorage is good duty I hear. Lots of respect for the Military here.

Believe you get a 25% Cost-of-Living adjustment or somesuch. Many Vets come here to retire out, buy property etc, and of course we FReepin' Conservatives will welcome you with open arms.

[Snow Bunny]

I agree with you. I love winter, it is my favorite season even have gone barefoot in the snow. LOL

Thank you for the link to this thread.

[Snow Bunny]

Bump

[Snow Bunny]

Thank you for the ping AP.

[Snow Bunny]

Bump

[zip]

1. Colorado Springs, CO

Colorado Springs is number one for family, entertainment and weather. Yes, the weather is fabulous. Some friends swear by San Antonio and I really enjoyed Ft Bragg but that was last century (1960's).

Thank you for your service to our way of life.

[FRMAG]

I was at Ft Drum this past summer and the post physical plant is extremely modern and quite pretty. Plenty of fishing and hunting as well as winter sports. Good outdoor rec and PX/Commissary facilities.

As to the command climate I have no idea as I was visiting my son who is stationed there as a SSG and was using my retired ID.

[dakine]

Take Anchorage or Colorado Springs...stay away from Fayetteville

[ladtx]

Unless things have changed since I retired in 1988, I would request Colorado Springs or Alaska but expect to be assigned to Fort Hood. Of course it all depends on your MOS, and how friendly you are with your assignments officer in DC.

[BlueLancer]

Scratch Fort Irwin, unless you are infantry or armor and want to be in the field all of the time. It's probably close to two hours from ANYWHERE and about 30 minutes from the nearest town .. Barstow.

I know that this will get a reaction from most of the vets on this board, but I spent my entire stateside career at Fort Hood, Texas ... as an infantryman and then as a court reporter. Three tours to Korea and one to Germany, then with 1st Cav, 2nd Armored, and III Corps here at Hood.

I really like Fort Hood ... lots of fishing and hunting in the area. Two hours from Dallas, one from Austin, two and a half from San Antonio, three to the Gulf coast, four and a half to Mexico. The weather is hot in the summer, but, having put up with a$$ deep snow in Michigan for 18 years prior, I definitely am not a snow-bunny.

Again, depending on your branch, the combat arms training here is probably the best you're going to get stateside, with Ft Hood having the largest range areas (again, next to the NTC at Fort Irwin) in the free world.

So, to all of you vets who kept turning down assignments to Fort Hood ... thanks. My house was paid for before I retired, and I always got to come home.